As the Fire Burns
by tovictorsthespoils
Summary: Years have passed, and now the Ninja Storm team rejoins with Alexis and Danny. A new Academy appears and collects the top student from any ninja school. Its up to the old team to stop the new Academy and it's ninja. Is Alexis the same girl they knew, or has the years changed her? More importantly, does the spark between her and Hunter still burn? Hunter/OC Blake/ Tori OC/OC HIATUS
1. Prologue

As the Fire Burns ch 1

The storm whipped around the building, banging into the windows and tearing at the fields. Hunter sat silently meditating, absorbing the power that came as a gift from nature.

Tori appeared on one of the sky's heavy breaths. Nothing one second and there the next, she would have scared anyone who had been present at the entrance to the Thunder Ninja Academy. She was glad for the easy access, as she was cold and drenched. She pounded on the locked doors to the building.

"Who's out there?" someone called.

"Tori Hanson, from the Wind Ninja Academy." Tori replied. The doors where immediately opened.

"Sensei Tori." A student greeted her. "I didn't know you were expected tonight."

"I wasn't." she told him, taking off her wet coat. "But something's come up and I need to speak with your Head Teacher."

"He's in his office. I can show you the way, if you'd like."

Tori gave him a sweet smile. "It's okay, I know where it is." And with that she went to find him.

Hunter jolted a bit when a loud knock came from his door; he was so deep in meditation. "Hunter, I'm coming in." Tori warned, entering a second later.

"You could just wait for someone to move." He suggested easily. Tori laughed but ignored his comments.

"Hell of a storm." She commented. "Almost drowned on my way over." Hunter got up to get them both drinks. "Though I'm sure you're having a nice night."

"Oh, so you enjoy playing in tsunamis?" he shot back with a laugh. Tori smirked.

"Completely different. Anyway, I wish I could joke more, but that's not why I'm here." She sat sideways on the couch.

"And here I thought you braved 100 mph winds and heavy down pours just to have a chat." He smiled while handing her a steaming mug. He sat across from her, his own cup in hand. "What's up?"

Tori waited a moment before responding. "Cam got a message today." She finally started. Hunter caught on to her subtle distress.

"Tor?" he asked and encouraged.

"It was actually three messages. One from the Ground Ninja Academy in South Dakota. Apparently their top student was kidnapped. And then there was one from the Aqua Ninja Academy down in Lousiana, saying how _their _top student had gone missing. And the last one, was a message from the VA" Tori ignored how Hunter tensed. "The Sensei there thinks the disappearances are linked. And he was asking for our help, because he thinks Alexis is the next target."


	2. Chapter 1

As the Fire Burns Ch. 1

_Hawaii_

Danny had been practicing his forms when a spark, a junior student, came and told him Sensei Haruno had requested him. Danny didn't keep him waiting. Since he had been promoted to Senior Student, the Master Sensei had often summoned him to discuss matters with the teacher. Danny remembered a few years ago this had been Josh's position. Ever since their failure with the Ninja Storm team, Danny had missed Josh more and more each day. It frustrated him to know end that even after rebuilding the school, they still hadn't found a way to rescue the Cobalt ranger. So Danny put all his effort into his position, hoping Josh would be proud.

When he arrived at Sensei Haruno's office, he could tell something was up. The Sensei sat worriedly and silently, only moving by motioning with his hand for Danny to sit on one of the mats before him.

"Is something wrong Sensei?" Danny asked.

"I fear Daniel, something is very wrong." Silence.

It felt like hours before Sense spoke again. "We have received word from our fellow ninja academies, many of which are not our allies. Someone, or something, is hunting ninja."

Danny's eyes widened. "_Hunting, _Sensei? What does that even mean."

"As a poacher collects the best of each species for his collection, some force is abducting the most skilled ninja from each specialty. We know the Head Teacher from the Earth Academy has been taken along with a Senior Student from the Aquatic Academy. Both in there twenties; both trained all their lives, and both extremely talented ninja. If someone was able to take them by force, then we are to consider whoever it was a serious opponent."

"How do we know they didn't go willingly?"

"Signs of struggle at the areas of disappearance. Other than that, you understand the loyalty one feel to there school once they reach that kind of position."

"Yes Sensei." Danny sat and thought. If they already had and Earth Ninja and a Water Ninja, wait. "Sensei, do you know which one was taken first?"

Sensei Haruno nodded. "The Earthen ninja."

"Earth, Water, _fire, _air_" _Realization dawned on Danny. "If they follow the natural pattern, they'll go after a fire ninja next." Another realization. "But you knew that already."

"That is correct." Sensei Haruno carefully picked up his old body, and proceeded slowly, to the window overlooking the training grounds. Danny stood as well, still deep in thought.

"Sensei, I know the answer but I'll ask anyway. Are there any other schools that teach fire technique?"

"As you said, you know the answer is no. Since the beginning of our kind, fire was has been considered to wild, to dangerous an element to try and control. If one is too weak or unqualified, it will burn them to death from the inside out. That is why"

"Our school is so small and our ninjas select." Danny finished for him. "And most of us come at childhood so we may dedicate ourselves even further to our training."

"Very good, Daniel. Now, figure out why else I have called you here."

Information was swimming in Danny's head. He kept trying to fit piece by piece together, as if it was all simply a giant puzzle. For some reason Sensei Haruno was putting his attention elsewhere when they should be focusing on defending the school and protecting any high-ranking fire ninja. Figuring out who was best among us. Wait. "Alexis." He said. "You think they're going to go after Alexis. She was a Senior Student and best in her class. She started training when she was five. She was almost considered a prodigy."

"She would be the obvious target."

"But Sensei, she's been gone for _three years. _I mean, _we_ only know she's _alive _because every few months she sends a post card, and I don't think she'd be refining her skills during her world tour. I love her, but I think her abilities must have waned."

"You are mistaken. Where better to learn knew abilities than the places they originated. Why not practice strange techniques in areas you come across, and should anyone see you, they probably never will again. We know Alexis left on a journey of self-discovery. But I find it probable it has involved into a journey of self-improvement."

Sensei Haruno's words weighed heavily on Danny. For the past three years, he had assumed Alexis was jetting from attraction to attraction, pampering herself and having the world's longest tantrum recovery. Alexis was always emotional, but unable to handle those emotions. After anything particularly trying, she would enjoy solitude. But after a month, Danny had decided Alexis was just being ridiculous.

"So what do you want me to do?" he asked finally.

"I have already sent word of this to her cousin's Academy. You are to travel there and join them, find Alexis, and bring her back. I will be opening communications with both Earth and Aquatic Academy. When you return you will know your part against these new ninja."

Danny was aghast. "Sensei, no disrespect, but that's crazy. I mean, I understand telling Tori, but you know that means the Thunder Academy will know within an hour, and the Head Teacher there is kinda the reason Alexis left in the first place. Beyond that, how would we even find her? I mean, we've tried, we've been trying for years. She's rather good at hiding."

"We do not have the computer expertise available that the Wind Academy does."

"We have a contact in the NSA!" Danny wanted to scream. He loved Alexis as if she were his sister, and he wanted to see her again, but really, couldn't Sensei Haruno see Hunter Bradley was the worse thing possible for her at the moment.

"This is not up for discussion Daniel. Cam Watanabe has proven his computer skills, and our contacts have failed to find her. If we could not locate her, perhaps Watanabe and Tori can."

This is not going to go well.

_Blue Bay Harbor_

Hunter had chosen to wait at Kelly's with Dustin. Tori and Shane both had classes to teach. Dustin wasn't teaching that afternoon, and he was still riding for Kelly so he liked to keep working at Storm Chargers. He told Hunter it made him feel more regular. Dustin was stacking boxes in the backroom and Kelly was working on a bike, and Hunter was just hanging on the couch thinking over what Tori had told him. He hadn't heard a word from her in years. He had barely dared to hope she would contact him, and he shouldn't have, because he heard nothing. He couldn't even turn to Tori for updates, because she only got an occasional post card or a text from Danny saying he had gotten one. Since that day on the beach he watched her drive away, Alexis had effectively disappeared.

"Alright, what is it?" Kelly brought him from his thoughts. She stood above him, arms crossed over her chest.

"What?"

"Oh please Hunter, I know you better than that. What's got you so bothered? Is it a girl?"

"What, wait, how did you know that?"

"So it is a girl." Kelly smiled. "Feminine instincts. Now, what's going on with this girl that's causing you to be more brooding than usual."

"I do not brood." Kelly raised an eyebrow. "Fine. I guess I could use some advice.

There's this girl I used to date. She came out of the blue and we just really connected. Everything was great for a while then she kind of just, left. I found out that she wasn't supposed to be there at all, and when she took off, she had done something. Because of what she did, some bad stuff happened."

Kelly groaned. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Being cryptic. Like you're not telling me the entire truth and there is something really important I don't know and if I did everything would be a lot easier but you don't tell me what."

Hunter, not knowing how to respond, said, "Do you want to hear this story or not?"

Kelly did.

Anyway, a little more than a year after that, she showed up again. Turns out she was related to, well, turns out she was Tori's cousin."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. So I had to work with her for a while on some stuff. And the thing is, during that time we reconnected. I thought she had played me, but she hadn't actually wanted to hurt. The girl even managed to justify her actions."

"Against you? Wow!" Kelly commented, impressed.

"I kind of ended up falling for her again. And she told me she felt the same way, but things happened. She had just lost her brother."

"You mean he died?"

"No, he went missing. Well, he was missing before, but we thought we had found him. That's what we were working on. Anyway," Hunter paused, figuring out how to phrase what had happened, "she didn't get him back. Even though she hadn't had him before, it hit her really hard."

"Poor thing must have gotten her hopes up."

"She left again, and said it was because she wanted to get herself back in order. Her life had been, kind of a mess since her brother went missing. And she was always so. . . passionate, about everything. I understood why she wanted to get control of her emotions. The thing is, that was three years ago, and I haven't heard from her since.

Kelly was obviously surprised. She opened her mouth, but no response came forth.

"And the reason it's bothering me now, is because I might be seeing her soon. And I don't now what to do."

Kelly finally answered. "Do you still feel the same way about her as you did when she left?"

"I don't know. I think so. Probably."

"Well, I guess then you need to go see her and, talk to her. If you still feel the same way, and she does too, push for what you want. Give it a try."

Hunter weighed her suggestion in his head. "I just keep thinking of the saying, 'If you love someone, you let them go. If they love you, they'll come back.' I let her go."

Kelly placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Maybe she just can't find the way back."

_London_

A tired girl fumbled with the key into a suite. Once inside, she kicked off her heels and slipped out of her mini-dress, leaving it on the ground. She went into the bathroom to wipe a hot washcloth over her face a few times, removing any makeup that hadn't already faded. She got into her pajamas, and crawled onto the bed. There she paused for a moment to look out her window. The view was extraordinary; she could see both the London Eye and Big Ben. It made her smile, seeing them lit up at night. She yawned loudly, and resigned herself to sleep. But just before she did, she leaned over and opened the desk drawer. It had two things in it. A scarlet colored cell phone that had its battery pack removed, and a necklace that's only charm was a silver _A. _


	3. Chapter 2

As the Fire burns ch 2

_Blue Bay Harbor_

"_Hey you've reached Alexis, I'm not around and don't know when I'll be back, so I doubt I'll get back to you. Sorry, have a great day." _Danny groaned when he heard the familiar sound of Alexis' voicemail. He hadn't actually expected it to work. The same message had greeted him every time he tried for the past three years. Still, he couldn't help but hope by some miracle Alexis would answer and they could avoid what comes next.

A security guard came to lead Danny from the Helipad. Blue Bay Harbor wasn't as large as some other cities, but it was still big enough to have a bustling airport. Danny looked through the vacationing families and traveling businessmen, until his eyes rested on a blonde head. "Tori." He called. Tori turned to spot her friend, smiled and waved.

The friends greeted each other, hugged, and asked on each other's well being. She led him to the parking lot to her blue hippy van, and soon they were driving through the cities central.

"So how's your classes been?"

"Not bad. Sometimes I still can't believe I'm the one teaching them. And now I started this thing we're my students are required to learn a water sport, so they can spend more time in their element and learn how to use it better."

"Cool, you know they do something similar at the Aquatic School?"

"Yeah, that's actually where I got the idea. I was going to do what they did and require my students to surf, but I figured that'd seem to self-serving."

"Right, you're still starting that custom surf board shop. How is that?"

"Pretty good. I'm almost ready to sign the lease on the building, and I've got my models made. I should be able to open by summer." When Tori spoke about her shop, her eyes lit up with excitement. Sometimes her friends wondered if she just taught because she felt obligated. As much as Tori loved the school and being a ninja, anyone who knew her knew surfing was her true passion.

"Well that's great Tor." Danny replied. "What about that boyfriend of yours?"

"Blake's still with Factory Blue. They're touring Europe, and he says he thinks he'll be on the all-star team." Danny couldn't miss how Tori deflated a bit He sighed.

"Are you annoyed he's away from home, or are you annoyed he's away from you?"

Tori didn't even try to deny it. "Aren't they the same thing?"

"You know, you could just tell him how you feel."

"What would that matter? I can't ask him to give it up. I mean, it's his career! And he loves it, so that would make me his selfish girlfriend."

"So your plan is to just continue being miserable." Danny questioned.

"I'm not miserable." Tori shot back. "I'm just not happy with the situation."

"Riiggghhht." Danny said.

"Tori rolled her eyes. "Can we please just change the subject?"

"Fine. Do you think Alexis is okay?" Danny smirked. Tori shot him a look as if to say, low blow.

"I don't know. Cam's already started to work on finding her and researching the people who are after her. He says he's making okay progress, not that it's taken anyone off edge. Most of all Hunter." Danny returned her low-blow expression.

"How is Bradley?" Danny asked with venom in his voice.

"You know it is amazing, I start dating a Thunder Ninja and you warm up to him but another stays away from Alexis and you still hate him." Tori remarked.

"What can I say, it's just too hard to deny who I am for more than one of them. And as I blame Hunter for Alexis' disappearance."

"You know you can't do that forever. Alexis leaving was her choice." Tori looked at him with fixed eyes. Danny sighed.

"Well when we find her I'll blame her."

_London_

Alexis was almost embarrassed she slept until 11 the next morning. However, she was used to her sleeping schedule being crap. The hotel phone woke her up. "Hello?" she grumbled sleepily.

"Good morning Miss Scarlett. This is your wake-up call." A cheerful voice replied. Alexis smiled a bit. She had bribed the hotel into giving her a wakeup after 10 am when they normally stopped, knowing she would need it after partying.

"Thank you." She responded and hung up. Her routine was simple. Get out of bed and stretch, yawning all the while. Put on some running clothes, and go out to jog around the city. An hour later she would stop by a café to grab an espresso, and head over to Hyde Park. It is a universal truth, in every major park in the world; there is some area or another that no one ever bothers to go. Alexis considered herself an expert at finding these places. She would practice her forms and techniques for a while, before finally returning to her hotel to shower and clean herself up. After that, what she did varied. Sometimes she relaxed, and sometimes she shopped. Sometimes she studied, and sometimes she did research. Today was a research day.

"Afternoon Miss Scarlett." The front deskman greeted on her way out.

"Good afternoon." She greeted with a smile. "Any mail for me?" she knew there wasn't.

"No miss. Off somewhere?"

"I'm taking a tour of the Victoria and Albert Museum." She replied.

"Well, have a nice day Miss Scarlet."

"You too." Alexis said before going to hail a cab. The front deskman was always nice to her. In fact, everyone who worked at the hotel was nice to her. She wondered if she should take their familiarity as a sign to move on. She didn't normally spend two months in one place, but she found herself enjoying London. Part of her thought she might like to settle down there, but a larger part of her laughed, because 21 was not the age to settle down. Not too mention that would mean going back to being Alexis Hanson, and she also found she enjoyed being Scarlett Hayes.

When she stepped out in front of the museum, the sky was beginning to darken. The only thing she didn't enjoy about London, a rather constant rain supply.

"Hi, Scarlett Hayes, I'm supposed to meet the curator." She said at the desk. A moment later she was taken to his office.

"Ah, you must be Miss Hayes." He greeted. Dr. Cutler was an old man, but he knew his history. "Thank you, we shall be fine from here." He dismissed the employee who brought her. "Would you like some tea?" Another thing about the British, they loved their tea. Alexis gratefully accepted and took a seat. "Now, let me see if I have this right." Dr Cutler said. "It's Alexis, correct."

Alexis smiled and nodded. "That's right. Alexis Hanson."

"Well Miss Hanson, I was quite surprised too receive your call. Your fathers company was always largely supportive of many of our exhibits. Though I was a bit confused at the pseudonym."

"I left home a couple of years ago, and I have a feeling some of my friends are going to want to bring me back. I'd just rather no one find me until I was ready. I wouldn't have told you, except my family connections were necessary for you to allow me this private tour." Alexis explained calmly. "And it wasn't my father's company. He was just a stockholder."

However it was under the company's name her father had supported the company. The late Mr. Hanson was a large supporter of historical preservation, though many didn't realize the topics his history centered on. If Dr. Cutler was suspicious of Alexis, he did a good job of hiding it. As agreed upon, he took Alexis to see the exhibits on Asian cultures that had been closed for the day. She could have gotten the information without the private tour. However, this was the only way she'd be allowed to touch and closely examine the artifacts.

"You expressed particular interest in the Toūchian monks, correct?"

"Yes. They lived in Southeast Mongolia and believed each person was able to harness the power of a particular element."

"Perhaps, Miss Hanson, if I knew what exactly you wanted to know, I'd be more helpful."

Alexis smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry Dr. Cutler. Family secret."

"Very well." He turned away as Alexis continued her examinations. The Toūchians were merely a branch in the long history of how the ninja way that she knows was developed. They were the first to develop an idea of putting elemental energy into weapons. She took a staff from its stand. It had an ancient hieroglyph meaning lightning carved on its ends. She lightly fingered the engraving. She noticed Dr. Cutler watching her handle the precious object.

"The properties of that staff remain a mystery. It looks like a normal wooden staff, but of course if it was wood it would have rotted years ago." Dr. Cutler said. Alexis didn't reply. The staff was wooden all right. However, it was meant to be charged with electric currents. She moved her grip down so she could feel the slight change in texture that would have been the grip. Her best guess, the tree the staff was made from had evolved when the Toūchain monks started to use them. They can handle currents, wouldn't rot, and she'd bet they didn't burn. The design was crude, and obviously the alloys used to make Thunder Staffs now were a better option, but still she couldn't help but marvel at the simple yet effective weapon. However, by letting her thoughts center on a Thunder Staff, she couldn't help but think of a certain Thunder Staff wielder.

She studied a few more objects and reread a few more facts before deciding she was satisfied. And that when she finally did leave London, she ought to go to Mongolia, because there were still hike trails to the monk's temples.

Dr. Cutler and her exited the exhibit, which led them into a Buddha- era art section. "Thank you very much, Dr. Cutler. I'm glad to have finally visited your museum."

"Oh, you've been here before." He replied with a smiled. Alexis startled and looked at him.

"I have?"

"Oh yes, once with your parents when you were just a baby. I remember commenting, you must have been the quietest baby I'd ever met." He said, kindly. Alexis took a moment, but remained quiet. She couldn't remember much from when she was little. In fact, she barely remembered anything about her parents at all. She considered the memory of their death her first clear memory. Everything else she knew about her parents was a vague glimpse and stuff Josh had told her. She was only jolted from her thoughts when a young man rushed in.

"Ahh Dr. Cutler. Pleasure running into you." He said breathlessly.

"Lord Montly, a pleasure as always. Scarlett," he addressed Alexis. "This is George Montly, future Duke of Wellington. His parents have been bringing him in to study various exhibits since he was very young, and they are personnel friends of mine. George, this lovely young lady is Scarlett Hayes. Her father was involved in the company that funded the creation for many of our exhibits."

"Pleasure to meet you." Alexis greeted. He responded by taking her hand and kissing the top. Definite blueblood.

"American, I see." He noticed from her voice. "What's a beautiful young heiress like yourself doing in a different country all by yourself?"

"Sight-seeing." Alexis responded quickly.

"Well if you wouldn't mind, I could use some help. There are some girls a bit back who kinda recognized me, and I think they're following me. If you could just help me. . . ." he asked.

Alexis laughed. And looked at him. His hair was dark, but he was only a bit taller than her, well-sculpted and cerulean blue eyes. He wasn't her normal interest, but the Thunder Staff had put her attention too much on Hunter, and she could use a distraction.

"I'd be honored."


	4. Chapter 3

As The Fire Burns ch 3

_Blue Bay Harbor_

Cam had been working since he'd gotten the request from the Volcano's to find Alexis. He had to admit, for someone who didn't know how to properly disappear Alexis had done pretty well. Legally, Alexis Hanson had graduated high school a semester early and declined college, which technically was true. However, the only activity under her name was some hefty bank withdrawals.

Cam leaned back in his seat and sighed. He had tried to track her phone, but he had known that wouldn't work. His best guess being she had removed the battery and GPS, meaning it was a useless piece of metal and plastic. He knew she was traveling, as the bank withdrawals were scattered across the globe. But there was no telling where she was now.

His computer blipped at him but he ignored it. Life had been pretty laid back since the Lothor and Mesagog fiasco. He had spent the last two years helping instruct the new batch a students, some of which were worse than Tori, Shane, and Dustin when they started out. Other than that, he continued with his own life. He worked on his computers, he honed his samurai abilities, and he went to college a few days a week. He didn't mind that kind of life. But if something was coming after ninjas, he had a bad feeling it.

"Well you look miserable." A feminine voice said. He turned to see Kapri leaning against the wall, arms crossed, relaxed and at attention at the same time.

"I'm not miserable, just frustrated." He replied. "Alexis Hanson has disappeared."

"I'm aware. And it's not because of her. Something else is bothering you." Kapri said matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?"

"One, because even though you deny it our family has actually grown pretty close in the last few years and I know you. Two, when your worried you come down here instead of your office." Kapri told him without a hint of doubt while she looked around Ninja Ops. Many things had changed about the blonde, her intelligence and maturity included.

Cam sighed in defeat. "Fine," he admitted. "I'm worried about whatever's hunting ninja."

"How considerate, since as a samurai you're in no apparent danger."

"I'm trying to be serious."

"And I'm trying to lighten the mood. Not to mention you need to save your worrying for when we actually have an enemy before us."

"And you don't worry about the enemies we can't see?"

"Shadows can't hurt us." Kapri shrugged. "When they try to, they stop being shadows."

"I wish I had your confidence." Cam turned back to his screen. "Right now I've got to try to find Alexis."

"Tori's fire cousin right? Hunter's ex?"

"Well, if you want to put it delicately." Cam said sarcastically.

"What do you have so far?" Kapri asked curiously.

Cam didn't know how his cousin could help but he showed her anyway. "Besides occasionally taking a lot of money from her bank account, nothing." Kapri thought about it for a second.

"What about deposits?"

"She never deposits money."

"Well duh, why would she, it's a trust fund, it refills itself. I mean can you see if there are any deposits of the same amount into other accounts." Kapri told him.

Cam looked at Kapri. She looked back. "That's actually a really good idea."

Kapri raised an eyebrow. "Meaning I normally have bad ideas?" Cam ignored her and searched the deposit records of the bank. Alexis normally took around 3,000 dollars from her account on a bi-monthly basis. Cam wondered what a girl in hiding would need the extravagant life-style. Unfortunately, the bank didn't have any results. Kapri shrugged apologetically, but Cam wasn't done. He broadened his search to a particular instance, at a bank in a small village in Spain. The village had two other banks nearby, and between them three people deposited the same amount Alexis had taken. Two of them were men.

"Gotcha."

_London_

She wore a red dress and white shrug and was waiting outside a fancy hotel. The people passing had no doubt she was some young debutante, rich and possibly noble. She was assuredly on her way dinner or a party, and waiting to be picked up by a handsome young suitor. They were partly right.

Alexis had helped Duke George Montly, and in return he'd invited her, well Scarlett Hayes, to dinner and an opera with him and his parents. Apparently first dates with the parents were common for London socialites.

George wasn't Hunter, and he wasn't like him in any way. Hunter was serious where George was funny. Hunter was stubborn, and George didn't need to be, he got his way so much he didn't mind the opposition. The only trait the two shared was their cerulean blue eyes. Alexis wasn't as attracted to the guys who were different than her first love, but it took her mind off him, and she felt like she finally was starting to move on. Of course she wouldn't know until she saw Hunter again.

_Blue Bay Harbor_

"Cam, tell me you have good news." Tori begged when she walked in the room, Danny trailing behind her.

Kapri and Cam looked up and both smiled. Tori and Danny waited expectantly, but neither Watanabe would say anything.

"We're just waiting until everyone gets here." Kapri said.

"Save time if we don't have to explain it twice." Cam added.

The 5 minutes it took Dustin, Hunter and Marah to arrive seemed like torture.

Kapri registered the look on Hunter's face. She couldn't quite place it. The options going through her head were angry, annoyed, upset, worried, anxious. No wonder he was always brooding.

"Okay, so here it is." Cam started. " For the last few years Alexis has been living completely off her trust fund. Every few months she shows up at a random bank in a random place to get some money. The VA originally sent agents to these locations when they started looking, but it soon became pretty obvious she was never there." Danny nodded in agreement. "Naturally she couldn't walk around with all that money on her. We've figured out she's been putting the money into an account at a different bank, under a new name. Everyone," he pulled up a picture of a tan auburn-haired girl, with a lean frame and unmistakable green eyes. "meet Scarlett Hayes. And she is in London."

**A/N- shorty chapter today, but I'm sitting at a restaurant and am trying to finish before dinner arrives. Thank you so much to everyone supporting this story, and may I say, welcome back. I'll try and update every few weeks, but hey, no promises. Next chapter or one after that, REUNION!**

**Special Thanks to**

**Starpower21**

**Xotiptopxo**

**xXHappLemonXx**

**Aka-Baka Hoshi 02**

**Kyroyukihime**

**My many Guests**


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